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MNU Responds to Clinical and Preventive Services Plan

MNU President Darlene Jackson issued the following statement in response to the Manitoba government's release of their Clinical and Preventative Services Plan on November 29, 2019:

“Once again, nurses are left with more questions than answers following the release of a health care plan that will have significant impacts on staff and patients across the province.

This plan was developed without meaningful consultation with the MNU and frontline nurses. It proposes major changes to how health care is delivered in rural and northern Manitoba, and could mean longer travel times to emergency and primary care facilities.

In addition to clarifying the specific impacts on staff and facilities, our primary concern is the timeline for the implementation of this plan. The WRHA is still reeling from the impacts of consolidation; nurses are working record amounts of overtime due to high vacancy rates and increasing workload. In the interest of the safety of patients and staff in the WRHA and across the province, we hope that the government does not rush into any further changes before stabilizing the system.

Nurses want to be partners in change, but we are concerned this plan may have detrimental impacts on patient care, especially in rural and northern Manitoba. Let's begin with meaningful consultation, and the development of a real plan to recruit and retain more nurses to support the delivery of patient care."